Attention: TDR Forum Junkies 
Towing with the 2007. 5 Ram 3500 SLT 4x4, 6. 7L, 6-Speed Automatic, 4. 1 Axle
We recently towed our fifth wheel with the new truck for the first time. While it was only a 940 mile tow, we experienced flat roads, rolling hills and longer/steeper hills. We are pleased with the new Ram’s performance. The trip to/from our son’s house provides a valid comparison with our prior trucks – the same route, the same driver and the same fifth wheel.
From here on it is “I” – Mary Lou said it is my report. She has not towed with the new truck yet. I have read some of your ‘tech speak’ on the forum. As you read this, please keep in mind it is written by an accountant type person, not an engineer. Therefore, the terms and explanations may not be technically correct according to some readers.
I towed at the recommended ‘less than 50mph’ for almost all of the first 491 miles. Towards the end, I increased my speed to 55 mph until arriving at our son’s house. The trip to our son’s house included a short side trip. For the 449 mile trip home, I towed at our usual 62 mph – 1,700 rpms.
The truck has only 2,309 miles on the odometer at present so any mileage report will not represent ‘after break-in’ results. Per the owner’s manual, the break-in period is at least 6,000 miles. My calculated mileage for the trip home of 449 miles, including Interstate highways and some steep hills in Kentucky, was 10. 474 mpg - not bad for an ‘almost new’ drivetrain considering we towed for 91% of those 449 miles. (Just for comparison, the trip computer displayed 10. 3 mpg. ) Overall mileage for the total 1,223 miles driven for the entire trip was 10. 531 mpg – towing for 77% of those miles. Based on my calculations and the towing percentage, the mileage seems to have improved on the trip home. (Again for comparison, our 2004 Ram averaged 11. 6 mpg overall on most trips after break-in. )
The increase in horsepower (+50) and torque (+95) over our 2004 Ram is noticeable. Our HitchHiker II weighs about 13,000 pounds fully loaded including 80 gallons of water. The new engine performed with little effort. I was pleased with the way our 2004 Ram with the 5. 9L Cummins, 4-speed automatic, 4. 1 axle towed. The 2007. 5 Ram’s performance increases are just icing on the cake.
Driver control is increased with the 6-speed automatic. The toggle switch on the gearshift lever is used to select the range of shifting you want to use; 1-6, 1-5, 1-4, 1-3, 1-2 or first gear only. The ‘tow/haul’ does not lock out the overdrive gears. Even with ‘tow/haul’ engaged, the transmission shifted to 6th gear when traveling at a constant speed. While in 6th gear, the increase in torque lets the truck climb rolling hills without downshifting. In Kentucky, the steeper hills required the transmission to downshift. With cruise control “on”, a 5 mph difference seemed to be what the transmission was looking for. If you lost 5 mph climbing a hill, it downshifted to maintain your speed. If you gained 5 mph coasting downhill, it would downshift to slow the truck.
This is my first experience with an exhaust brake. I appreciated the added safety it provided. The exhaust brake works differently depending on if ‘tow/haul’ is engaged or not. With the exhaust brake only “on”, it will kick out at about 40mph as you brake or coast to a stop. When both the exhaust brake and the ‘tow/haul’ are “on”, the exhaust brake is actuated for all except 1st gear as the vehicle slows. There was a significant amount of ‘pushing/tugging’ of our fifth wheel as the exhaust brake cut in and the automatic transmission downshifted. Some of that unpleasant ‘pushing/tugging’ may be reduced as I become more experienced with the new drivetrain. Aftermarket products attached to the fifth wheel pin could dampen the ‘pushing/tugging’ to some degree.
I found that when towing, I drove with the automatic transmission in “D”, the ‘tow/haul’ function “ON”, the cruise control set at “62” and the exhaust brake “ON”. In the hilly section of the Interstate, where I wanted to take advantage of some coasting, I turned the exhaust brake “OFF”. Restricting the up-shifting to 3rd or 4th gear worked well in heavy traffic. On the road, I would sometimes manually downshift to 5th gear as we approached a steep hill.
Overall, what is my impression of the new 2007. 5 Ram . . . It is great. It feels capable of towing significantly more than I asked it to tow. Fred
We recently towed our fifth wheel with the new truck for the first time. While it was only a 940 mile tow, we experienced flat roads, rolling hills and longer/steeper hills. We are pleased with the new Ram’s performance. The trip to/from our son’s house provides a valid comparison with our prior trucks – the same route, the same driver and the same fifth wheel.
From here on it is “I” – Mary Lou said it is my report. She has not towed with the new truck yet. I have read some of your ‘tech speak’ on the forum. As you read this, please keep in mind it is written by an accountant type person, not an engineer. Therefore, the terms and explanations may not be technically correct according to some readers.
I towed at the recommended ‘less than 50mph’ for almost all of the first 491 miles. Towards the end, I increased my speed to 55 mph until arriving at our son’s house. The trip to our son’s house included a short side trip. For the 449 mile trip home, I towed at our usual 62 mph – 1,700 rpms.
The truck has only 2,309 miles on the odometer at present so any mileage report will not represent ‘after break-in’ results. Per the owner’s manual, the break-in period is at least 6,000 miles. My calculated mileage for the trip home of 449 miles, including Interstate highways and some steep hills in Kentucky, was 10. 474 mpg - not bad for an ‘almost new’ drivetrain considering we towed for 91% of those 449 miles. (Just for comparison, the trip computer displayed 10. 3 mpg. ) Overall mileage for the total 1,223 miles driven for the entire trip was 10. 531 mpg – towing for 77% of those miles. Based on my calculations and the towing percentage, the mileage seems to have improved on the trip home. (Again for comparison, our 2004 Ram averaged 11. 6 mpg overall on most trips after break-in. )
The increase in horsepower (+50) and torque (+95) over our 2004 Ram is noticeable. Our HitchHiker II weighs about 13,000 pounds fully loaded including 80 gallons of water. The new engine performed with little effort. I was pleased with the way our 2004 Ram with the 5. 9L Cummins, 4-speed automatic, 4. 1 axle towed. The 2007. 5 Ram’s performance increases are just icing on the cake.
Driver control is increased with the 6-speed automatic. The toggle switch on the gearshift lever is used to select the range of shifting you want to use; 1-6, 1-5, 1-4, 1-3, 1-2 or first gear only. The ‘tow/haul’ does not lock out the overdrive gears. Even with ‘tow/haul’ engaged, the transmission shifted to 6th gear when traveling at a constant speed. While in 6th gear, the increase in torque lets the truck climb rolling hills without downshifting. In Kentucky, the steeper hills required the transmission to downshift. With cruise control “on”, a 5 mph difference seemed to be what the transmission was looking for. If you lost 5 mph climbing a hill, it downshifted to maintain your speed. If you gained 5 mph coasting downhill, it would downshift to slow the truck.
This is my first experience with an exhaust brake. I appreciated the added safety it provided. The exhaust brake works differently depending on if ‘tow/haul’ is engaged or not. With the exhaust brake only “on”, it will kick out at about 40mph as you brake or coast to a stop. When both the exhaust brake and the ‘tow/haul’ are “on”, the exhaust brake is actuated for all except 1st gear as the vehicle slows. There was a significant amount of ‘pushing/tugging’ of our fifth wheel as the exhaust brake cut in and the automatic transmission downshifted. Some of that unpleasant ‘pushing/tugging’ may be reduced as I become more experienced with the new drivetrain. Aftermarket products attached to the fifth wheel pin could dampen the ‘pushing/tugging’ to some degree.
I found that when towing, I drove with the automatic transmission in “D”, the ‘tow/haul’ function “ON”, the cruise control set at “62” and the exhaust brake “ON”. In the hilly section of the Interstate, where I wanted to take advantage of some coasting, I turned the exhaust brake “OFF”. Restricting the up-shifting to 3rd or 4th gear worked well in heavy traffic. On the road, I would sometimes manually downshift to 5th gear as we approached a steep hill.
Overall, what is my impression of the new 2007. 5 Ram . . . It is great. It feels capable of towing significantly more than I asked it to tow. Fred
